"It Is Not For You To Know..."
He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Act 1:7-8, NIV)
God's times and seasons are mysterious. Jesus tells the anxious disciples that "they are not permitted to know the times and seasons." They has asked Him if the Kingdom of Israel was about to be reestablished upon the earth. They longed for this - as did all of Israel which suffered under the yoke of Roman rule.
God's Kingdom timing is always mysterious. Today, the church is still not "permitted to know." But this lack of knowledge has a purpose. The purpose is to cause us to be led by faith. To be led by faith is to be led by the Spirit. To be led by the Spirit means pausing to hear what the Spirit is saying. This requires faith, patience, and obedience. Jesus is clear as to what we are to be doing as we wait for the in-breaking of the Kingdom - we are to wait.
What does this mean? How did the disciples and apostles interpret Jesus' instructions? We know that they interpreted it correctly because Luke is telling the story in such a way, and with the intention of sending a clear message to us.
There is a pattern here for how the church is to behave and be led. What is the church to do? There are priorities. It must always "wait" for the Spirit. It must always be led by the Spirit. But we have our own priorities - we have what some pastors are calling a "3B" agenda - "BUCKS IN THE OFFERING, BUTTS IN THE SEATS, and BUILDING SIZE." (see Marty Boller's blog - www.pastorboller.com/3-bs/.
I know about the 3B's too well. So often in my pastoral ministry, I would succumb to the overwhelming pressure of the 3B agenda. Sometimes, I would get it right and get back to the Spirit's agenda. Whenever I did, the Glory of God would follow. Whenever I did, wonderful things eventually happened.
The apostles understood what Jesus had told them. They went immediately to the place called "the upper room" to pray - the Bible, just a few verses later, tells us that the disciples went immediately the mountain (more like hill - I was there a few years ago) to the east of the city and entered Jerusalem through the eastern gate of the city - "a Sabbath's day's journey away" (a short walk) and gathered to pray. Verse fourteen tells us what they began to do - "they were busily engaged with one mind in prayer, together with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers" (v. 14)
To wait is to pray. Prayer is not inactivity. Prayer is necessary for Holy Spirit activity.
Luke is a trained historian. When he gives detail it is always for a reason. Most likely these details were told to him by the eye witnesses he mentions. Mary and the brothers of Jesus were credible witnesses. Luke and Acts were written as a one volume account. Here is how it begins in the Third Gospel:
"Since many have undertaken to arrange in proper order an account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as from the beginning the eyewitnesses and those becoming ministers of the Word handed down to us, so also it seemed good to me, accurately following and investigating everything from the first, to write to you in order (an account), most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the words (of the gospel) you have been taught."
(The Gospel of Luke 1:1-4, The NET Bible.)
There is much which can be said about the preface to Luke's Gospel as it pertains to the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles - but for now, I want you to understand that Luke was very careful and selective to give an account "in proper order...of the events" - including the very critically important initial fourteen verses of the book.
Jesus told them to wait. The disciples prayed for the promise of the Father which Jesus had told them would come again. Originally, there was no Gospel of John between Luke and Acts. There were no chapter separations either! Luke chapter 24 flowed directly into Acts 1. Here are Jesus clear words to the disciples at the end of Luke's Gospel:
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
(Luke 24:49, NIV.)
Can't be clearer than this. And Jesus repeats the command in Acts 1:4-5
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
But "stay." "But wait." We want to go run and do. How many churches today schedule "waiting" prayer meetings - with no time frame or agenda. Just waiting together. Jesus wants to first "clothe us with power from on high." We think we are ok with go with just our learning and experience from "down here." I say that's all good and dandy, but without "power from on high" ultimately it all crashes and burns.
The church does not always follow this command. The reasons are many and varied - must almost always there are human priorities and concerns that are raised above the priorities of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Usually pastors and leaders pay a high price to become those who "wait" - or "tarry" as the old King James puts it. The old time Pentecostals and Holiness churches would do this. (William Seymour did it too - more to follow in the next installment in this series.)
Jesus says "wait for the Spirit's clothing with power BEFORE you go out as my witnesses." His priority is the sending of empowered disciples out into the world to give an effective, empowered witness. To understand what this means, we have to consider all of Luke's writings up to this point.
Check back in the next few days for the continuing story.